"The Super Secret S-Rank Mission" (ドS級極秘任務, Doesu-kyū Gokuhi Ninmu) is episode 254 of the Naruto: Shippūden anime.
Synopsis[]
As the scroll containing the island's coordinates have been leaked to the Akatsuki, Motoi sends an owl to report the crisis to the Fourth Raikage. In order to protect Naruto and Killer B, Aoba suggests that they leave the island, only to be shocked when told that the island is actually the back of a turtle that is currently swimming. However, due to the fact that Naruto would rush into the battlefield carelessly if he knew that the Fourth Shinobi World War had already begun, Aoba tricks Naruto into thinking that his S-rank mission is to recruit all of the island animals in order to form an animal combat unit for the war.
in Kumogakure, the five kage come together for a meeting, where the Third Tsuchikage declares that he would be the one to reach the Island Turtle to check on Killer B and Naruto since he can fly. Granting the ability to Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi as well, the trio set off towards the island, Meanwhile, Naruto encounters Condor, the talking ostrich from Konoha, who agrees to serve as his translator in order to avoid military enlistment. Naruto gets into a fight with a giant gorilla, giant hippo, giant penguin, and giant koala when they find out that their love interest, a giant armadillo, is infatuated with Naruto. Regardless, Naruto emerges as the victor of the brawl and proceeds to shelter the animals in a safe place, unaware that his mission is fake.
At the Mountains' Graveyard hideout, Kabuto offers to go to the island to capture the Eight and Nine-Tails, citing that he would like to acquire Yamato as well, since the latter contains the cells of Hashirama Senju. Kabuto asks to experiment on Zetsu as well, claiming that Black Zetsu can go without White Zetsu for a while and that it wouldn't delay Tobi's plan to resurrect the Ten-Tails, shocking Zetsu and Tobi, since the knowledge of Zetsu and the Ten-Tails were kept hidden. Kabuto smirks as he responds that Orochimaru had done his research, and Tobi agrees to allow Kabuto to venture forth on his quest, promising him Zetsu if he can capture the two jinchūriki. Before Kabuto departs, Tobi shows him the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, as well as Hashirama's Artificial Body, a non-sentient clone he had made of the First Hokage using DNA he had acquired during his fight with the Hokage at the Valley of the End. He also divulges the existence of the White Zetsu Army underneath the lake, hidden amongst the roots of a gigantic, flowering tree.
Content with being disclosed with classified information, Kabuto sets off to the island with a resurrected Deidara, who creates a clay bird. Kabuto tells Deidara that he has tweaked the reanimation technique and thus Deidara would be able to use nearly his full power, unlike when Orochimaru would use the technique. Deidara displays his gratitude towards Kabuto for bringing him back to life as well as Kabuto's assertion that he respects Deidara despite not comprehending his explosive art. As the two fly towards the island, Kabuto is attacked by Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage. However, Kabuto is revealed to be a Clay Clone, with Ōnoki's fist being stuck inside of him. The real Deidara and Kabuto are flying near the clones, and Deidara sends his clay self as well as the clay bird towards his former leader and detonates it, seemingly killing the Tsuchikage.
Trivia[]
- The brown undershirts and blue forehead protectors worn by Iwagakure shinobi have been changed to their distinctive crimson colour, accordingly to the manga.
